Back on the farm, we'd pin down the young bull when it was a week old. Put a rubber band around the nutsack..........They would fall off in 3 or 4 days and we'd have a gentle "Steer".........Never called a vet....

Just had our 1yr old puppy neutered.

Vet wanted $450. Had the Humane Society do it for $59.

All worked out well.

Find a new vet. $300 in Potomac, MD from a superb, well credentialed vet with 30 years experience. One of the most expensive counties in the US. She also does it for $50 per for those with low incomes.

I'll add this....both my vet (older brother of a hs friend), and another good personal friend, donate their time, and many times medications, for such causes. Some folks are all about the $...many more aren't....it's just that simple...imo. Both are exceptional vets...and people...almost on par with dawgs :).

If some of you cheap bastards had ever seen what I have seen, opening up the abdomen of a dog "spayed" at a cheapo clinic, you might reconsider. A nylon ziptie used as a ligature? Seen it.

Tell you what. I'll sell you the materials needed and a 1 page sheet of instructions for $25. Anesthesia and pain management not included.

I've always paid my vet for his services (and my friend too...for a house call for the journey over the bridge). I won't question your professional expertise. Does a quote of 400-600, a non-eventful procedure, and then a bill of 600 seem reasonable to you (in a low cost-of-living area)?

I assume that there's a big difference between fixing a boy and a girl dog in complexity, but maybe I'm wrong.

Paying more does not necessarily equal better care. There are a few vets around here who are known rip off artists and do substandard work.

I wouldn't consider Greensboro a low cost of living area. Moderate, maybe?
Lots of things can come into play here, so I don't second guess any Dr's prices. I will tell you that in 1995, I set up a spreadsheet to track true costs for medical and surgical procedures in my practice. I tried to track everything for some common procedures, down to the minute of time, each surgical sponge, each Liter of oxygen, minute of rent, utilities, insurance, and salaries. Result: I lost money on every procedure, and only made a living by selling stuff. Then the Internet ruined that.

Let me ask you this: what is the going rate for a good lawyer in your area? $400, $500 an hour, or more? Whose education cost more and took longer, lawyer or veterinarian? From start of anesthesia induction, until doggie wakes up, a routine OHE should take about 1 hour, use about $50 worth of supplies, about $5000 worth of equipment, and should use at least 2 people.

What happens to your dog if somebody tries to cut too many corners to save money? Can they go back and fix it after it's dead?

People on this board don't know the anatomical difference between a male and a female? LOL! Yet they feel qualified to set the price on a surgical procedure!!

Losing my wife's tiny little lap dog (female) would have been almost like losing a child to her. As it was, she (less than 5lbs to start with) lost over a pound during that one procedure when we got her back the following afternoon. It seems that it was pretty serious/dangerous procedure. I know that the vet we used kept someone there overnight...so that can't be cheap. She healed nicely and the scar is almost invisible. We did not shop around although it seemed a little expensive...as it was her normal vet and we trusted them to do it right. If something had gone wrong and I had shopped around for the local motormeister at the humane society to save a few bucks...my life would not have been worth living for a long time (wife would have been crushed).

I used to know a kid who worked at the Humane Society in a/our major city (community service for bad behavior). His job was to euthanize unwanted dogs all day...and do spays/neuters, give shots, etc (under supervision). The kid was bright...but struggled to hold a minimum wage job. If he screwed up, one more for the "euthanized" pile.

They did an awful lot of animals...so were probably a very fast/skilled assembly line for procedures without complications. I would personally not send a beloved pet to them.

I won't argue, and don't actually live in Greensboro :).

If I ask for a quote for a service, get a range of 4-600, am told things went very well, and then get charged $600...I'd be ticked off just like the OP.
It's not the actual $...it's the principle imo. A few weeks ago, I took a car I found for my parents to a bodyshop for some cosmetic stuff (removing clear, marred, film)....guy gave me an estimate. When I returned, it looked fantastic, and he said it was the hardest one he'd ever had...took much longer. But he said he was gonna stick with what he said....no way, I paid him twice that...

And yes Greensboro is moderate, the VERY small town I live in pricey, and just a few miles away (my vet), is a downright bargain ;).

Let's just go with the OP's estimate...why did it the actual charge hit the high side if things went fine with the procedure?

Well I’ve had my dogs fixed at local shelters for the first 3. Than my male has a heart problem so I had my vet do it. Now this year my female was getting fixed and the wife was saying to go to the shelter. But I trust my vet and have been using him for 5 dogs and 2 cats 15+ years. So I sent her there. Couldn’t tell you what I paid dont remember. A vet is like your mechanic. Are you taking your porsche to pep Boys?

As long as it was within the estimate, I don't understand why you are not OK with it.

Lots of factors can enter into making a surgical procedure more difficult. The most common for a spay are if the dog is in heat or if it's older than a couple of years (the abdominal fat is a nightmare).

Ahem....I would not let a Porsche dealer anywhere near my 911....the one time I did need a pro, I went a local pro (a la John Walker) years ago, received awesome service, and was not gouged in the process ;).....

I believe in honest work for fair, honest bills...you won't get that at many car dealers...and mebbe even "some" vets.

If the OP had been quoted $600....I don't think this thread would exist and I agree with his perspective...it's not the actual $ amount either imo. I would spare no reasonable expense for my pooches :)

The thing with quotes is that it starts at a 'if everything goes as planned' price and goes up to 'we had some problems along the way' price. If 'everything went as planned' then why was he charged for 'some problems along the way'?

It's like getting a quote on your car brakes and they quote you $100 for pads up to $600 if you also need calipers and rotors. Would you be okay paying the $600 even if you only got pads because 'it was within the estimate'?

OK...I'm not gonna continue....if any other factors made it more difficult, then the quote was spot on. That would not appear to be what happened here based upon the first post in this thread however....

Take care guys :)....